The Guilt Trip
by JoshWillow
Summary: What do you when you are getting bullied at school? What do you do when you are getting bullied at school, and you have access to powerful spells which can give you revenge? But when Dawn tries to get vengeance, things spin terrifyingly out of control


The Guilt Trip  
  
CHAPTER 1  
  
TORMENTED  
  
Dawn ran. And ran. She ran through the school corridors. But her pursuer would not give up.  
  
Dawn kept running until she found herself in a Chemistry lab. She hid under a bench, and kept as quiet as possible. She prayed that she would not be found.  
  
She heard someone enter the room. They began searching the lab for her. Dawn stood up and ran as quick as she could out of the room. Her pursuer quickly followed.  
  
She caught up with Dawn quite quickly, and pushed Dawn in the back. Dawn fell to her knees, and began to crawl. Then Dawn realised she was trapped. Her pursuer was coming up behind her, and the only escape in front of her was a long staircase going down.  
  
Dawn would not have time to stand up and run down them, and the only option was to crawl down them. Either that, or just sit there waiting for her attacker to catch up with her. Her attacker came up behind her just as Dawn was about to slide herself down the stairs. The girl grabbed Dawn's legs and pulled her up. Dawn pleaded to the girl desperately, "Please, please don't hurt me." The girl laughed evilly, grabbed onto Dawn's throat and pulled her into the air...  
  
Buffy punched the demon. It fell the ground. She kicked it. Buffy punched it again. It's hideous green face was cut open and blood was spurting out of the hole. The blood was also green. " Ew." Buffy said. " You guys really have a thing about mucus." The demon ran away , clutching it's bloody face, shrieking an odd noise which Buffy guessed meant it was in pain. "You didn't even get my phone number," Buffy called after the creature.  
  
She doubted that it would come back. Most demons never did, after encountering the Slayer. They would either be so dead they couldn't come back, or be too terrified of Buffy to return.  
  
Buffy walked out of the park and started walking home. When she returned home she started cooking dinner, and went up to Dawn's bedroom. But Dawn wasn't there. Buffy looked around the house, but couldn't find Dawn anywhere. She began panicking immediately. She phoned all of Dawn's friends, but none of them knew where she was.  
  
Buffy was on the verge of tears when she remembered. Dawn had play rehearsal. Of course, Dawn had told her that morning that she would be staying late after school for play rehearsal. Buffy had got all worried for nothing. Relief swept over her. "Dawn's fine," she said to herself. "Dawn's just fine."  
  
Dawn felt like her throat was going to explode in pain. The girl kept squeezing it. " Dawnie, why do you keep running?" Ally smirked. "You know you can't escape from us. Come on."  
  
Ally pulled Dawn along with her to the Girl's bathroom. Inside two other girls waited. Alex and Carrie. They both smiled when the saw Ally enter, dragging Dawn behind her. Alex pushed Dawn up against the wall. The girls surrounded her so that she couldn't escape. "You know what we want. Just give it to us," Ally whispered. Dawn put her hand into her pockets and pulled out a bundle of 10 dollar notes. She threw them into Ally's hands. " Good girl," Ally said. Dawn looked away.  
  
Every time it was the same. She stayed behind after school once a week, giving Buffy the excuse she was at play rehearsal. When in fact, Dawn had to come to the girl's bathroom, where Ally, and her friends, Carrie , Alex and Gabby would tease and bully her. They would hit her and laugh at her. She was meant to bring $50 to every meeting, otherwise Ally and her servants would make her life even worse.  
  
Dawn couldn't stop them, so she just didn't. Although she always felt guilty about taking the money from Buffy, she was absolutely terrified of Ally and her gang. She often asked herself why she didn't just get Buffy to beat them up or something, but she always had this nagging feeling in her mind that telling Buffy would not help. So she came, week after week, and gave the money.  
  
Tonight had been no different. Except she had tried to escape. Never before had Dawn been brave enough to attempt escape from them. But she had tonight. And of course, she had failed. Ally was furious Dawn had tried to run away from them. "Naughty, naughty Dawnie! We're going to have to punish you." And then Dawn find the most unbelievable horrific pain. It squeezed its way through her body, and made her scream in agony. Then suddenly, her eyes opened. The girls were gone. They had just left her. Dawn stood up, and left for home.  
  
CHAPTER 2  
  
BRUISED AND ATTACKED  
  
Dawn woke up the next morning covered in bruises. Well, not exactly visible bruises, there were no marks of any kind on Dawn's body to show the torture she had been through the night before, but Dawn could feel them. That raw, painful sensation of old injuries.  
  
Dawn found it hard to get dressed, her hands trembled as she did up buttons, and walking down stairs was impossible, her legs felt weak and unstable, as if they might collapse any minute. Eventually, Dawn got downstairs and went into the kitchen.  
  
She poured herself some cereal, and ate. Her hands still ached, so eating was a very slow and tedious process. Soon after she began munching down her breakfast, Buffy joined her.  
  
"Morning Dawn."  
  
"Hey Buffy. How was patrolling last night?"  
  
"Boring. I sliced some green guys face open though, so that was fun."  
  
Dawn forced a laugh. She noticed Buffy looking at her oddly. "Are you OK, Dawn?"  
  
"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
Buffy shrugged. "No reason. You just looked a little..."  
  
"...rough?" Dawn completed Buffy's sentence.  
  
Buffy laughed "Yeah, I guess. How was play rehearsal?"  
  
"Huh?", said Dawn, confused. Then she remembered what her alibi had been for the night before. "Oh, play rehearsal. Um, it's Okay."  
  
Buffy nodded, and to Dawn's relief, asked no further questions. They continued eating in silence. Then Dawn got up, said goodbye and left for school. After she was gone Buffy noticed something. Dawn hadn't finished her cereal.  
  
*  
  
Buffy entered the magic shop and saw Anya serving some customers, Willow and Tara reading books at the table, and Giles looking at the shelves, making sure everything was in the right place. Giles saw Buffy, and walked towards her.  
  
"Hello Buffy." Giles smiled at her.  
  
"Hey Giles. What's up?"  
  
"Nothing really. How was the patrolling last night? Or as you have recently begun calling it, hunting?"  
  
Buffy knew Giles didn't understand why she had begun saying hunting instead of patrolling. She wasn't sure she understood herself. Buffy knew it was partly because she felt that patrolling sounded controlled, while hunting sounded more primal, like she thought the slayer should be. "  
  
I met a new demon. Big green dude."  
  
Giles looked interested.  
  
"Green? What shade? Light, dark?"  
  
"I'd say, a vomit green", Buffy said.  
  
Giles frowned at Buffy's words. She knew he like being serious whenever it came to new demonic activity.  
  
"Indeed. Vomit green. What happened with this, Mr. Vomit?"  
  
"Well, we fought. I cut his big ugly face open, and all this green gooey blood squirted out. It was pretty gross. And then it made a weird noise, and ran away, shrieking like some demented cow."  
  
"You let it get away?," Giles asked.  
  
"Well yeah, but I don't think it will be back."  
  
Giles nodded.  
  
"Very well. If you don't think it poses any threat, then we shall ignore it's presence in Sunnydale."  
  
"Great" said Buffy. "That's fine by me."  
  
What a mistake that would turn out to be.  
  
Buffy walked over to Willow and Tara. They greeted her.  
  
"Hi Buffy."  
  
"Hey. What are you two doing?"  
  
"Nothing really."  
  
Buffy looked at the huge and ancient looking books Willow and Tara were poring over and smiled. Willow noticed.  
  
"Oh, the books. We're just looking up new spells. Improving our magic repertoire. It's fun too..."  
  
But Willow didn't finish her sentence. A big green ugly demon had just walked into the shop. Buffy recognized it as the same one from the night before. Customers ran from the shop, screaming in terror, as the green demon knocked over shelves and people.  
  
Buffy ran up to him and kicked him, but he just knocked her down. The demon ignored Buffy and her friends as they all made feeble attempts to attack it.  
  
Willow ran up to it and began chanting a spell. A strange red forcefield appeared around the demon, trapping it. Willow smiled triumphantly, but the demon put his fist through the forcefield. It had escaped. It punched Willow so hard that she flew across the room.  
  
The demon looked around the shop one more time, before running out. Tara ran over to Willow, who was lying on the floor with blood gushing out of her face. Buffy looked out of the door, where the demon had fled through seconds before. And she knew it would be back.  
  
CHAPTER 3  
  
NO TOMORROW  
  
"This has been a bad day," thought Dawn. "A bad, bad day."  
  
It had started when Dawn had accidentally tripped Alex up, while she had been running to class. Alex had fallen over, and an enormous, bloody gash had appeared on her leg. Dawn had been severely told off by a teacher.  
  
Then, during Chemistry, Gabby had poured a whole beaker of sulphuric acid on her jeans, and made it so that Dawn got the blame.  
  
And then, in a History test, Carrie had complained that Dawn was copying her. Dawn had been outraged, but the teacher found that their papers were identical. Dawn was blamed. Again.  
  
"Two detentions in a day," Dawn thought. "Great."  
  
As she sat alone, absent- mindedly chewing her lunch, she wondered "Why me? What is it about me that they hate so much?" But no matter how hard she thought, Dawn couldn't come up with an answer.  
  
*  
  
Dawn sat in art class. Bored. She wasn't listening to the teacher incredibly dull speech on the artistic revolution on the 15th Century, she was just sitting, daydreaming. Dawn looked over at the other members of her class and saw most of them were in the same state of half-sleep.  
  
Dawn settled back down in her seat, and began a fantasy in her head, where she had cool magic powers, when suddenly she felt something on the back of her neck. It was a weird scratchy feeling. Dawn turned around and saw Ally, throwing little pieces of paper at the back of her neck.  
  
Dawn turned around again, trying to ignore it. But the paper kept coming. Dawn turned around again.  
  
"Please stop," she whispered to Ally. Ally smiled at her evilly. Dawn watched as Ally nodded to her co-bullies. Suddenly Ally shrieked loudly. Dawn was confused. What were they up to?  
  
The teacher jumped at the sound of Ally's screaming.  
  
"What on Earth is going on?"  
  
"Dawn threw these at me."  
  
Dawn couldn't believe it. Ally was trying to frame her.  
  
"What was Miss Summers throwing at you Ally?"  
  
"These."  
  
Ally held up a few pins. The kind with the really long pointy edges.  
  
Dawn was outraged. "I did not. I never threw them. I would never hurt... Ally was throwing at me....."  
  
But the teacher interrupted. "Miss Summers. Would you then explain how those pins got to Ally's desk?"  
  
"She's trying to frame me," Dawn protested "I didn't do it, I swear."  
  
"Miss Summers, would you please go to the principal's office."  
  
Dawn got up and threw her bag over her shoulder. Her face burnt bright red, and as she left the classroom she could see Ally smiling her evil, evil smile.  
  
*  
  
Buffy was at the hospital with Tara, Xander and Anya. Willow had been admitted to the emergency ward an hour ago, and had not returned. No-one had come to see them with any news of how she was. They were all really worried.  
  
They sat in silence, in the waiting room. Waiting. Suddenly, Buffy's phone rang. She answered it. It was Dawn's principal.  
  
Willow opened her eyes. She felt dizzy and drowsy. Willow looked around the room. She was connected to some weird, humming machines. She realized she was in a bed, wearing something unfamiliar to her. She still didn't know where she was. Willow tried to remember what was going on, who she was, what she was doing there, but she couldn't remember. She couldn't remember anything. Not even her own name.  
  
Buffy sat opposite Dawn's stern-faced principal. She had briefly seen Dawn on her way in, standing outside the principal's office, shaking. Buffy was still confused about why she was there.  
  
"So, Mrs......" Buffy looked at the nameplate on the principal's desk, "Strickland. Can you tell me why I'm here?"  
  
The principal nodded, and began talking in a harsh, angry voice. "Dawn has yet again shown us her disregard for school rules, for other pupils, and for the staff. "  
  
"What did she do?" Buffy asked, shocked.  
  
"She threw pins at a girl sitting behind her during her art history class. The girl could have suffered a serious injury."  
  
"No...... Dawn wouldn't have done that."  
  
"She did. And this is just another event in Dawn's long line of misdemeanors. Her suspension last term, her long absences last year, and today, she has reached new lows. She poured an entire beaker of sulfuric acid onto a girls skirt! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? She tripped over a girl, on purpose, and the girl has a terrible cut on her leg, and during a History test Dawn was caught cheating. She was let off lightly in each event, but really..... how can you justify such a record? I think it would be best if Dawn left the school."  
  
Buffy couldn't believe it. "No.... No I'm sure you're wrong." "I wish we were Miss Summers, but I'm sorry. I know Dawn has recently lost her mother, but I'm going to have to expel Dawn. Please don't bring her in to school tomorrow. Goodbye."  
  
Buffy got up and left the room, feeling shaken. Outside, Dawn stood, trembling. Buffy looked at her, and gestured for Dawn to follow her. Dawn followed Buffy in silence outside to the car. Buffy pushed Dawn into the car, and drove home.  
  
Tara was finally allowed in to see Willow. Xander and Anya had left soon after Buffy, so now she was on her own. Willow was conscious, but she wasn't talking, and Tara didn't really know whether she understood what was going on.  
  
Tara tried to talk to Willow, but got no reply. Willow looked awful, Tara thought. Her face was no longer pouring out blood, its wound had been bandaged up, but Willow's face was still badly bruised.  
  
Tara knew Anya and Xander had gone to the Magic Shop to research the creature. She was sure they would find something. Tara was also sure Willow would get better soon. They just sat in silence for a few moments, before Willow suddenly burst out "Who are you?"  
  
Dawn sat on her bed, crying. Buffy had just finished screaming at her, worse than she'd ever been screamed at before. Buffy was so furious and disappointed in Dawn. Dawn hated it.  
  
Why should she get expelled just because of what Ally and her friends had done to her?  
  
Because Dawn knew that she had had trouble at school in the past, and the incidents that day had been the final straw, but Dawn also knew she was a good student, and she had good reasons for everything that had happened at school.  
  
When she skipped school it was because her mother had just died and Dawn had discovered she wasn't even human, she was suspended before because she had been insulted by a teacher and she had answered back rudely.  
  
And now because of Ally, Dawn had to find another school. If anyone would take her, without rejecting her on the sight of her disgraceful record.  
  
Dawn was suddenly filled with a sense of furious, boiling, red hot hatred for Ally.  
  
And in that moment, Dawn knew she was going to have her revenge.  
  
CHAPTER 4  
  
THE SPELL  
  
Dawn had climbed out of her bedroom window. She ran down the street, and as fast as she could, she made her way to the Magic Shop.  
  
Inside, she snuck past Anya and Giles who were serving customers, and she climbed the ladder which took her up to the floor containing the most deadly and dangerous spell books Giles owned.  
  
Dawn was strictly forbidden from going up there, but she didn't care. She flipped through a large book, called "Darkest Magick", until she saw a spell which seized her interest. She stuffed the book into her bag, and ran out of the shop and all the way home.  
  
The doctor left the hospital ward and went into the waiting room, where the girl was waiting. He walked up to her and saw her stand up as he approached. He looked at her worried face and began to talk to her.  
  
"I'm very sorry. But Willow is suffering from a disorder called Injury Induced Amnesia. It is a problem that occurs after an injury, which causes her to practically lose her memory. Willow may or may not recover. It is likely that she will remain like this permanently."  
  
"You mean, Willow is never going to get better?" Tara asked, miserably.  
  
"I wouldn't say never. About ten percent of people with her condition recover within several weeks."  
  
"Ten...... ten percent?" Tara's voice shook as she spoke.  
  
"I'm sorry. You can go in to see her now."  
  
"Thank you." Tara made a weak attempt at a smile. Then she walked into Willow's ward. Willow was lying in her bed, sleeping. Tara burst into tears and lay down on top of Willow, sobbing her broken heart out.  
  
Buffy was furious with Dawn. She couldn't believe Dawn had been so stupid. Buffy herself had been expelled, but that was when the principal hated her and she had been framed for murder.  
  
"Framed...." Buffy thought. How did she know Dawn hadn't been framed? She had been so quick to judge Dawn, to assume she was guilty.  
  
Maybe Dawn really was innocent. Buffy suddenly felt really bad. Because she knew Dawn hadn't done what she had been expelled for. Buffy walked up the stairs, knowing that she was going to have to talk to Dawn and make everything right.  
  
Dawn sat on the carpet in her bedroom. She was studying a spell in the book she had stolen. It claimed to get complete revenge on your enemies, providing your cause was worthy.  
  
Dawn had stolen some other ingredients she needed from the magic shop, and was working out what she needed to do with them. The purple powder was to spread around her while she chanted the incantation, the heart of a frog (it had been so gross to take out of the jar in the magic shop, Dawn almost threw up when some gooey stuff fell out of it) was to wave around after the incantation.  
  
Dawn understood perfectly what she was doing. And she was sure nothing too bad would happen to Ally, just something small, like waking up with her face covered in zits , or all her friends leaving her.  
  
But, there were some weird words in the spell book that Dawn didn't understand under the incantation she was going to use, and Dawn just ignored them, assuming they weren't important. She read it several times, but just gave up on it having any meaning. It said "Lataf eb lliw lleps siht fo secneuqesnoc."  
  
Dawn knew it was time for the spell. She opened the lid on the jar of purple powder, and spread it around her in a circle, as she sat, cross- legged, on the floor.  
  
She chanted, " Uoy no ni sesolc ssenkrad , thgil eht rof gnihcaer ni. Uoy emusnoc yam tliug rof lleps siht fo eraweb." Dawn picked up the frog's heart, and waved it in the air. " I pray to thee, Goddess Sebia, let my have revenge on those who would hurt me. Let me have revenge on my enemies."  
  
Suddenly Dawn felt herself flying out of her own body. Suddenly she was somewhere else somewhere different, somewhere white and bright.  
  
Buffy threw open the door, and saw Dawn sitting completely, absolutely motionless. There was no expression on her face. Buffy knew Dawn had left her body.  
  
The frog's heart fell to the floor.  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
IT IS DONE  
  
"Where am I?" Dawn looked around her.  
  
She was in a white room. Everything was white. Not that there anything actually in the room, Dawn noticed.  
  
There were walls, and floors. But nothing else. Not even windows. There were no doors.  
  
Dawn was in a room with four walls and nothing else.  
  
Suddenly, in front of her, a hole appeared in the wall.  
  
A tiny hole, which grew and grew and grew, until there was a huge doorway in the wall in front of Dawn. And the doorway led to a corridor, which looked never-ending to Dawn. And then, in the distance, Dawn saw someone walking down the corridor, towards her.  
  
Buffy ran up to Dawn. She bent down, grabbed Dawn's shoulders, and screamed in her face. "Dawn! What are you doing?" Dawn didn't move.  
  
Buffy shook Dawn's whole body vigorously. Dawn didn't move. Buffy looked at the things surrounding Dawn, and worked it out.  
  
Dawn was doing a spell. Something had happened to her. Buffy slapped Dawn's face, hoping to bring her out of her strange magic induced coma-like state. But nothing worked.  
  
Buffy ran to the phone on Dawn's bedside table, and quickly dialed the number of the only person who could help her.  
  
It was a strange woman, whose skin was the most deathly pale white Dawn had ever seen. Her hair was also white, as was the long robes she was wearing, which floated behind her as she made her way down the corridor.  
  
As she moved closer to Dawn, Dawn became more terrified. Had the spell gone wrong? Why was she here? Who was this woman? Eventually, the woman reached the end of the corridor, and entered the room.  
  
She stared at Dawn, and her eyes, Dawn noticed, were the only part of her body not white. They were dark red.  
  
The woman didn't say a word, as she walked around Dawn examining her. She moved slowly, carefully and gracefully. Then, she stood in front of Dawn, and spoke.  
  
"Tell me, child, why are you here?" Dawn answered, her voice trembling with fear. "I don't know. I was doing this spell and then I just....."  
  
The woman interrupted. "I know about the spell, you foolish girl. You want revenge on an enemy, and I am here to help you exact that revenge."  
  
"Oh," Dawn said. At least this strange woman was on the same side as her.  
  
"So.... who are you?" Dawn asked.  
  
" You do not know?" Dawn shook her head.  
  
"Stupid child. Is it not obvious from the incantation you chanted who I am?"  
  
Dawn thought for a moment, then realized. "You're not..... You're not the Goddess Sebia?"  
  
The woman smiled an eerie smile. "Well done. I am. Now, enough about me. I want to know all about your enemy, and your plans for revenge." Dawn nodded, and began to talk.  
  
Buffy had called Tara. Tara, reluctantly, left Willow , who had to stay in hospital for tests, to help Buffy. As Buffy heard the doorbell ring, she ran downstairs, and let Tara in. Buffy asked Tara how Willow was, and Tara told Buffy what had happened. Buffy tried to disguise her tears by walking up the stairs and telling Tara to follow her.  
  
When they entered Dawn's room, they saw her sitting perfectly still on the floor, with her mind clearly in a different place to her body.  
  
Sebia smiled. The young girl had finished talking, and was now staring at her expectantly. Sebia knew the girl wanted her to say something. But she would talk when she was ready. After all, she was a Goddess.  
  
Sebia liked this girl. She was exciting, interested, full of life, vulnerable, and passionate. Sebia often found herself wondering about the human race, about their fate, though she knew they were far below her, she couldn't help herself. But, Sebia thought, as long as there were enough humans like this child, then they would be OK.  
  
The girl was now tapping anxiously against the wall with her hands, and Sebia knew she better start talking to her.  
  
"So, you have now recounted this tale of yours to me, and I have no doubt you are in the right to want revenge. This girl, Ally, has tormented you when you did not deserve it, and she shall be punished. But now, the question is how shall we punish her?"  
  
Dawn giggled mischievously. "Well, I think it would be awesome if you gave her zits, like, all over her face. That would be great!"  
  
Sebia smiled. "No, child. I think that something more powerful must be used on this girl. I think we should kill her."  
  
Tara had finished examining Dawn. Buffy had been watching anxiously while Tara inspected Dawn, with tears slowly running down her face.  
  
Buffy was terrified she had lost her sister, and now her best friend couldn't even remember who she was.  
  
As Buffy saw Tara finish looking at Dawn, she quickly brushed her tears away, and said, "What can you do?"  
  
Tara looked worried. "I don't know. She's like this because of the spell she performed, and whatever is happening to her now is that spell. I can't really do anything except wait until her spell is completed."  
  
Buffy didn't understand. "So, when she's finished the spell, she'll just come back?"  
  
"I think so," Tara answered, "but I can't be sure."  
  
Buffy looked at Dawn's lifeless form. "Are you sure there's no way to interrupt this spell? To bring her back?"  
  
Tara suddenly remembered something. "I have to go to the Magic Shop. We can help her." Tara raced out of the room. Buffy followed.  
  
"Kill her?" Dawn asked, shocked. "I don't want to kill her." Sebia was confused.  
  
"Why not? She has caused you a great deal of pain and grief. It seems fitting that her life should end, so she will be able to do so no more."  
  
But Dawn was adamant. "No, no, no. You just can't kill her. It's wrong. She might be a bad person, but killing is something different.... something worse. I'd feel so guilty."  
  
"Why should you?", Sebia asked. "She feels no guilt over what she does to you." Dawn still wouldn't agree.  
  
"No, it's wrong. That just makes me worse than her, it would make me an evil person...."  
  
Sebia interrupted. " Listen to me child." Her tone had lost its friendly touch and was now fierce. "I am a Goddess. You are a mere mortal. You prayed for me and I came to you. Now I will kill this girl and be done with it."  
  
"No....." begged Dawn."Don't kill her........" Sebia began chanting in a strange language. "No," screamed Dawn. "Don't do it"  
  
Dawn ran towards Sebia, and pulled at her long robe. Sebia continued chanting.  
  
"I'm not a mere mortal, I'm the Key. Gods tremble before the Key, do as I say!"  
  
Sebia stopped chanting and turned to look at Dawn. "It is done."  
  
"No...." said Dawn weakly and hopelessly. Tears were now streaming down her face. "Please, please undo it, please....."  
  
Sebia began talking, but Dawn couldn't hear her. Everything suddenly became blurry to Dawn, and he felt her knees giving way as she fell to the ground.  
  
But she didn't hit the floor.  
  
She could feel herself floating through the air, but she couldn't hear anything.  
  
Eventually, Dawn could see again. She could hear again, and as she floated into familiar surroundings, she saw Buffy staring at her.  
  
"You're back! You're back!" Buffy shouted happily. "Tara did a spell to bring you back."  
  
Dawn suddenly remembered where she'd been. She stood up, and ran out of her room. Buffy and Tara followed her down the stairs and out of the front door.  
  
As Dawn got outside, the cold hit her. It was late and night, and rain was pouring down. Dawn ignored it as she ran down the street.  
  
Behind her, Buffy continued to follow, screaming Dawn's name. Dawn ran for what seemed like an eternity, until she reached the house she knew Ally lived in.  
  
She banged the door, but it was locked and she wasn't strong enough to force it open. Dawn saw Buffy getting closer and closer, so she acted fast. She went over to the window, and smashed out her fist through it.  
  
Blood streamed out of her hands from the cuts made by the glass, but Dawn just bit her lip, and climbed through the window. She was in a dining room. She walked to the door ,anddoor, and ventured forth into the hall.  
  
Dawn walked up the stairs, and searched until she found Ally's bedroom. The walls were painted bright pink, as was the carpet, the bed, and everything else in the room. And, lying in the bed, was Ally.  
  
She was extremely pale, almost as pale as Sebia, thought Dawn. Dawn crouched down next to her, and felt her pulse. But Ally no longer had a pulse.  
  
Dawn sat there and wept. "I really am a murderer" she said to herself. Then Buffy came in, and held onto Dawn tight. "I think we'd better go Dawn. We don't want to be found here." Dawn nodded, and fainted in Buffy's arms.  
  
Buffy picked Dawn up, and carried her home.  
CHAPTER 6  
  
TEENAGE MURDERER  
  
Dawn woke up the next morning, and got ready for school, before realizing she had been expelled, and wasn't ever going back to her old school.  
  
As she was walking down the stairs, the events of the previous night came flooding back into her memory. Dawn saw vividly what had happened last night when she burst into Ally's bedroom and found her corpse.  
  
"I killed Ally." Dawn said to herself. "I'm a murderer."  
  
Dawn sat down on the step, crying. Then Buffy came out from the kitchen, and ran up to Dawn.  
  
"I thought you were still asleep. Do you want some breakfast?" Buffy began bustling around, preparing eggs and toast for Dawn.  
  
"Stop," Dawn said. "I don't want food. Do you know what I've done?"  
  
Buffy looked at Dawn sadly. "You made a mistake, Dawn. That's all it was. Sure, it was a really bad, painful mistake, and you're going to feel guilty, but you can't think of yourself as evil, because it was an accident."  
  
Dawn shook her head, almost in tears again. "No, it wasn't an accident. It wasn't....."  
  
Buffy interrupted. "We know about the spell you did , Dawn, and we also know you didn't mean to kill her."  
  
"That's true. I didn't want to kill her, I just wanted her to stop....."  
  
"Stop what?" Buffy asked. Dawn looked at Buffy, and decided it was time to tell her.  
  
"Ally and some of her friends, have been bullying me for ages. They all started school at the beginning of this year, and ever since then, they've been picking on me together."  
  
"What...... but Dawn...... why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"I was scared, Buffy. Scared of them. I'm sorry."  
  
Buffy and Dawn both started crying, and fell into each other's arms.  
  
Tara walked into Willow's ward, and saw her lying there, eating grapes. Tara sat in the chair next to Willow.  
  
"Oh, it's you again," Willow said , cheerfully. "How come you keep coming to visit me? I've never met you before. Remind me what your name is? Remind me what my name is?"  
  
Tara tried to stay calm. "My name's Tara. And yours is Willow, remember?"  
  
Willow giggled. "No, I don't remember, I think you're lying." Tara didn't respond. The doctor had told her Willow didn't know what anything was.  
  
"Would you mind leaving? I want to have a rest now." Tara got up to leave. "Ok. I'll come back later."  
  
Suddenly, Willow became herself again. "Tara?" she screamed. "Tara, help me. Please, please, Tara get me out of here." Tara was shocked, and she bent down to Willow, and held her hand tight. "Don't worry, Willow. I'll help you. I'll bring you back, like you did for me."  
  
Then Willow returned to how she had been before, and told Tara to leave or else she'd throw grapes at her.  
  
Buffy began phoning around all the schools near to them, but the search was doomed. No school would take a girl who had been expelled for all the things Dawn had done there.  
  
Buffy didn't tell Dawn about her fruitless search, as she feared it would only make Dawn more depressed.  
  
Dawn was walking around in a kind of sleeping state, as if Dawn had gone and left behind a mindless zombie in her place to carry out all the basic functions needed. Dawn just kept remembering what she'd done to Ally. And although Dawn knew Ally had been a horrible person, she didn't deserve to die like that.  
  
Dawn went into the living room, and turned on the TV, trying to take her mind of things. Dawn watched the news, a story about a movie premiere, and about a high-profile lawsuit. And then came a report about Ally.  
  
"This morning, Mrs. Deborah Layman came into her daughter Alison's bedroom to wake her up. Instead of her lively, outgoing daughter, she found a dead body. Ally had died in her sleep. Mrs. Layman immediately called Sunnydale General Hospital and Ally was taken there immediately, but nothing could be done for her. Doctors carried out a post-mortem on the corpse earlier today, and found that Alison died of nothing. There were absolutely no indications in Ally's body to show how a perfectly normal, healthy teenager could suddenly die. Speculation occurred that her death had something to do with a window broken late last night at Alison's house, but this is being regarded as a coincidence and of no relevance to the medical investigation."  
  
The report went on for several minutes, as some doctors talked about how this is impossible, some said it was a morbid medical miracle, but only Dawn and Buffy knew the truth.  
  
Dawn had killed her.  
  
And now the whole world would know about Ally, but never know how she had died. Dawn didn't think she could live with that burden.  
  
And suddenly, Dawn knew what she had to do. She had to go back to school, and tell Alex, Carrie and Gabby (who were sure to be devastated at the loss of their friend) how Ally had died. She had to tell them that she had killed her.  
  
Tara hung up the phone and walked down the hospital corridor. She had been talking to Buffy, who had told her what had happened with Dawn.  
  
Tara was shocked that Dawn had accidentally killed someone, and also shocked that Dawn had been powerful enough to complete a somewhat dangerous, difficult spell.  
  
But then Dawn was the Key, and not just a normal girl. It's obvious that she would have more magical power than an ordinary child would.  
  
Tara sat down outside the doctor's office. He had told her earlier while she was with Willow, that he needed to speak to her, as he had something important to tell her. Tara glanced at her watch. Her appointment with him was in exactly one minute.  
  
So, she sat there anxiously and waited for the doctor to come, and she was sure he would bring with him only bad news. Then, Tara heard footsteps approaching her. She looked up, and saw Dr. Noxon coming towards her. As he came closer, Tara stood up. He walked up to her, opened the door of his office, and gestured for her to follow him.  
  
CHAPTER 7  
  
SURGERY  
  
Dawn had gone to her old school. She knew she wasn't meant to be there, she knew she would get in loads of trouble if she was caught, but she just didn't care.  
  
Everything seemed so clear to her, so obvious. She felt that if she confessed all to Ally's friends, then everything would be fine, her guilt would melt away.  
  
But deep in her heart she knew it wouldn't be that simple. If she told Alex, Gabby and Carrie what she had done, they would surely be furious with her. They might start bullying her worse than ever before. They might even tell someone what Dawn had done. Then Dawn would either been sent to jail, or a mental asylum.  
  
In fact, Dawn didn't even really think that they would believe her. Nevertheless, she still continued searching the school, making sure nobody saw her, and desperately wishing that she could make everything okay again.  
  
Tara sat opposite Dr. Noxon in his office. She played with her hands nervously as he shuffled through his papers, and Tara's hands began to sweat, partly from terror, and partly from the hotness of the stuffy office.  
  
Then Dr. Noxon put his papers on the desk, and looked at Tara. He saw her terror, thatterror that he was going to tell her something awful. He knew that this girl was the closest person in the world to his patient, Willow Rosenberg. Willow's parents, he had been told, were out of the country, in somen some isolated part of Sweden (participating in a political activist's scavenger hunt), and communication with them was impossible.  
  
He know that Tara and Willow had the kind of relationship that he did not really approve of, but he was a doctor and his duty was to his patients, so no matter what he thought of their unconventional relationship, he had to inform Tara of the disturbing things going on inside her girlfriend's body. So he told her.  
  
"As you know, we have been performing extensive tests to discover as much as we can about Willow's injuries." Tara nodded. "We have been carefully examining the affected area of Willow's brain, and we have come to the conclusion that there is a slight chance that an operation could cure Willow of her memory loss."  
  
Tara couldn't believe it. "You mean, she can get better. You can make her better?" "Possibly. We don't know for sure whether the treatment will be successful. It's a very delicate procedure, which could leave Willow dead. It's up to you whether you want to seize the small chance of getting Willow back, or to just leave her as she is. What do you want to do?"  
  
Tara tried to think of a reply, but nothing that made any sense would come out of her mouth. "I don't know...... need more time.... operation?......surgery.......involves what?"  
  
The doctor smiled at her. "I understand it might be hard for you to make your decision." He handed Tara a sheet of paper with information about the operation.  
  
"Why don't I tell you a bit more about the operation?" Tara nodded. Dr. Noxon then spoke for several minutes about what the procedure entailed exactly, and he bombardedbombarding Tara with medical jargon until none of his words made sense.  
  
Dawn finally found Alex, Carrie and Gabby in a classroom at lunchtime. She had searched for an hour, before coming across them sitting together in the deserted room. She had told Buffy earlier that morning that she was going to the Magic Shop as her alibi, and she planned to later. Dawn did still have to return the book she had "borrowed" to cast that spell on Ally. Buffy had told her that Giles was not angry at Dawn about what she had done, only upset that she had made such a grave mistake.  
  
Anyway, when Dawn saw Alex, Carrie and Gabby in the classroom, she decided to watch them for a few minutes before going in. They were talking about Ally. Listening, Dawn worked out they were sharing their memories of Ally. They had only known her for a year, but hearing their painful discussion, she began to feel sorry for them.  
  
Dawn began to wonder if they really needed to know the brutal way that Ally had been killed. Tara had told Buffy that Ally felt little, if no, pain because of the spell.  
  
But Dawn didn't believe that. She believed that Ally had suffered immensely during the moments before the spell killed her.  
  
And then, Dawn was shocked to see, Alex, the tomboy, the rudecruel, violent, horrible girl, break down in tears. She sobbed and sobbed, while the other two girls put their arms around her and held back their own tears.  
  
And Dawn knew she couldn't tell them, so she left school and headed for the Magic ShopBox.  
  
Tara sat in the chair next to Willow's hospital bed, watching her lover sleep. She still didn't know what she was going to do.  
  
Could she risk losing Willow completely, just because of her own selfish desire to have the old Willow back? Or should she just leave Willow in this pitiful state? She just didn't know.  
  
Maybe it would be kinder to just perform the operation. If it wasn't successful, then Willow would die, providing an escape from this life which had been so cruel to her. It wouldn't make much of a difference anyway; she had already lost Willow.  
  
Suddenly, she remembered the promise she had made to Willow, when Willow had become her old self again, and begged Tara to help her.  
  
And Tara knew.  
  
She had to go through with the operation. She had to bring Willow back.  
  
That night, Buffy went patrolling. It was a mostly uneventful session, apart from the reappearance of the green demon.  
  
Buffy had known it would be back, and knew she had to kill it. So she fought it, and generally managed to beat it to a pulp. But as she was about to stab it to death with a knife, another green demon appeared.  
  
They were identical in every way, and though they were weak apart, together they overpowered Buffy, knocked her unconscious on a gravestone, and left her in the cemetery.  
  
Tara stood outside the operating theatre throughout the whole duration of Willow's operation. It took over four hours, and every moment was horribly painful for Tara, as she anxiously wondered whether Willow was okay, and desperately waited for any news.  
  
After the operation was over, Dr. Noxon came out of the surgery to see her. "Good news, Tara." Tara looked at his smile and decided Willow couldn't be dead. He wouldn't smile if she was dead.  
  
"We are pleased to say that Willow's operation was a total complete success. Her memory should be fully restored when she wakes up." Tara started laughing and smiling, two things she couldn't remember doing for a while.  
  
"So she's better?"  
  
Dr. Noxon beamed at her. "Yes, she's better."  
  
"Well, can I see her now?" Dr. Noxon shook his head.  
  
"Sorry, no. She won't regain consciousness for several hours. As soon as she wakes up, you can see her immediately."  
  
Tara hugged Dr. Noxon so hard he felt like he might explode. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," Tara laughed.  
  
Dr. Noxon smiled at her and said, "Just doing my job."  
  
Buffy and Dawn sat in front of the television, watching a boring game show. Neither of them were actually concentrating on it, as they were both so engrossed in the turmoil of their own intense thoughts.  
  
Dawn was wondering what she could do to redeem herself, as she still felt immense guilt over what she had done, and she didn't think it would ever leave. Buffy was wondering about what was going on with the two demons. Buffy had thought that the green demon was a one off, but seeing two meant there could be many more.  
  
She was also worried that they had managed to overpower her so easily. Buffy planned to call Giles in the morning, to ask for advice. Both girls sat in silence, lost in the dark vaults of worry inside their own minds.  
  
Tara walked into the intensive care ward, and saw Willow in her bed, strapped to loads of different machines. She had just woken up, and though she couldn't sit up, and her vision was blurry, she felt tired and her head hurt, Willow was acting pretty normally.  
  
Tara sat next to her, and Willow turned to look at her. For several seconds Willow thought, and Tara could almost see the cogs in Willow's restored brain going round.  
  
Then Willow smiled, and with all the effort she could muster, she reached over, held Tara's hand, and said the first word of her newly returned being. "Tara?"  
  
CHAPTER 8  
  
THE MORTUARY DISCOVERY  
  
Dawn stripped off her clothes, and ran towards the fountain. She ignored the cold wind brushing against her face, as she plunged into the depths of the water.  
  
She swam for several minutes, feeling warm and peaceful. The dark night sky was cloudy and grey. But the moon provided light, and it made her feel safe.  
  
Dawn lay on her back, and floated through the water. She closed her eyes, and it ended.  
  
Suddenly, she felt something pulling at her leg. She swam away from it, but the creature of the deep had a firm grip on her leg, and it was trying to drag her down beneath the water. She kicked her leg, but the water prevented her kick have any effect.  
  
Then, she was pulled underwater. Water shot through her mouth and her nose. She gasped for breath and tried to breathe. Dawn looked down to identify the thing pulling her down.  
  
It was Ally.  
  
Not Ally as she had been when she was alive, though. Her face had several holes where her skeleton was poking through. And her skin was bloodied, caked with mud, and rotting. She cackled as Dawn saw her, and though they were underwater, her evil laughs could be heard clearly by Dawn.  
  
Then Ally tugged on Dawn's leg with all her might, and Dawn felt herself going deeper and deeper into the murky depths of the water. Dawn desperately waved her arms around, trying to return to the surface, but Ally just smiled at her and said, "You killed me Dawn, now I'm killing you. It's only fair."  
  
And with that, Ally pulled Dawn down one last time. Dawn felt herself struggling to breathe, and she flailed out with her limbs hopelessly, before her body finally went lifeless and limp.  
  
Dawn woke up. She looked around her room quickly, checking to make sure there were no fountains concealing zombie girls trying to drown her. With the relief of realising it had all been a dream, Dawn went back to sleep. And dreamt again.  
  
Dawn was standing in a graveyard. There was a big hole in front of her. It was an open grave.  
  
She moved closer to it, and looked down into it. Suddenly, she saw a flash of Ally's lifeless corpse in the grave. Then it disappeared.  
  
Dawn suddenly felt unbalanced, and fell into the darkness of the open grave. But instead of landing in the grave, she found herself in a strange room. It was all black. Just like Sebia's otherworldly hangout, except where that had been white, this room was black. It was quite scary to Dawn, as she moved her way around in the dark room. Then, in front of her she saw a long silver medical gurney, with a cover over it's subject. The cover slid off, and Dawn saw Ally's corpse, deathly pale, with an evil smile on her face.  
  
Dawn was woken by the sound of her alarm. She got out of bed, and hurriedly dressed. Dawn wrote the note to Buffy. She then ran out the house. She knew where she was going. She had been there before. And she knew she wasn't coming back.  
  
Buffy came into Dawn's room to wake her sister up. But Dawn wasn't in the bed. Instead Buffy found a note. A note from Dawn.  
  
"I'm sorry Buffy. I tried so hard to be strong. But I couldn't. This guilt is just weighing me down. I can't shake it off, it follows me everywhere. And this is the only way I can get rid of it. I can't just carry on living this eternal guilt trip. So I have to make it end. I have to make it all end. So I'm going to the mortuary, and I'm going to kill myself. And you can't stop me. I'll love you forever, and even death won't make me forget what a great person you are, and all the amazing things you've done for me. At least I'll be with Mom, right? I love you. Dawn."  
  
Dawn walked through the hospital entrance, and followed the signs to the mortuary. She pushed open the mortuary doors, and walked in. Dawn moved slowly and carefully through the rows of covered bodies, being careful to make as little noise as possible, for one small sound could get her caught.  
  
Eventually, Dawn found the trolley marked "Layman, Alison" and she took off the cover. Ally looked almost exactly the same as when Dawn had discovered her. But Dawn noticed something different.  
  
When Dawn found Ally that fateful night, Ally's mouth had been twisted into a sort of silent scream, an expression of terrible pain. But now her mouth no longer looked like that. Dawn just ignored this though, and went to a drawer nearby.  
  
She took out a long, sharp knife, and held it towards her stomach. She looked at Ally's corpse and shuddered. Soon she would be that way. As she brought the knife into her gut, her life (most of it fake) flashed before her eyes.  
  
Birth, Childhood, School, Parents, Friends, Sunnydale, The Key, Buffy, Death, Glory, Buffy.  
  
The knife went into Dawn. Dawn let out a gasp of excruciating pain. Behind her, Dawn heard a loud noise. She turned, clutching her stomach, to see what was going on.  
  
Ally was awake.  
  
Buffy phoned Giles.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Giles', it's me," Buffy said tearfully.  
  
"Oh, hello Buffy. Whatever's the matter? You sound like you're crying."  
  
"I am. Dawn's gone. She left me a note.... she's going to kill herself."  
  
"What? Oh no. Are you sure? Why? Why would she?"  
  
"Because of that girl she killed. She's so guilty, Giles. And it's my fault, I haven't even helped. She told me she keeps having nightmares, she keeps seeing that girl's body in her dreams. When we burst in there and Ally was lying there, so pale and cold, Dawn just can't forget it..."  
  
Giles interrupted Buffy. "Did you just say the girl was pale?"  
  
"Yeah," Buffy replied , confused. "Why?"  
  
"Well, you see," Giles answered, "the spell that Dawn used is called the Elatrix Harinla. It is a legendary spell, which always kills the person revenge is being had against. But that person's corpse is always red, as if it had been painted. They are also covered in rashes and blisters."  
  
"But that can't be right. There was nothing like that on her body. So what's going on?"  
  
Giles was also confused. "Only an extremely powerful creature could survive such a spell. No human could, I shouldn't think. So if this girl wasn't red, and didn't have rashes or blisters, then I think she's not human. I think she is still alive, and I think she faked her death."  
  
"But why?" asked Buffy. "Why would she?" "I don't know. But it's about Dawn. There's something about Dawn which caused this girl to fake her own... Buffy? Are you still there?"  
  
But Giles was talking to no one. Buffy had left the phone, as she ran to save Dawn from what she knew was happening to her. And she knew where to go.  
  
Dawn watched in amazement as Ally sat up. She looked around the room, and smiled evilly when she saw Dawn.  
  
"Hi Dawn."  
  
Dawn was absolutely stunned. What the hell was going on?  
  
"Um, hey Ally. How come you're so....... alive?"  
  
Ally giggled "Oh Dawn. You should have known death couldn't keep me down."  
  
Dawn laughed nervously. "So, I'll just be going then." Dawn moved towards the door.  
  
Ally's face suddenly became cold and merciless. "No, Dawn. I don't think you're going anywhere."  
  
She slowly walked towards Dawn. Dawn ran to the doors, but she was stopped by Alex, Carrie and Gabby. They marched in, grabbed Dawn, and pushed her against the wall.  
  
"You girls took your time," Ally complained. "Sorry. We got held up. Gabby was hungry." Ally glanced at Gabby furiously. Alex continued talking. "She convinced us to eat two little babies, instead of one."  
  
Dawn gulped, and ran for the door. But Ally grabbed her shoulders, and pinned her against the wall. "You're very eager to leave, Dawn. And the party's just getting started." Ally picked up the knife Dawn had been planning to kill herself with, and held it against Dawn's neck.  
  
Buffy ran. And ran. Through the town centre. Through alleyways and sidestreets, and all the shortcuts she could think of. She had to get to the hospital. She had to save Dawn.  
  
The pain from Dawn's stab wound was starting to ease a bit. It had not penetrated too much of her stomach, so that was good. But now Dawn had to worry about the big knife being held dangerously close to her throat. She desperately tried to think of something to prevent her painful death.  
  
"Explain," she suddenly blurted out. "What? What are you talking about?" Ally asked, scornfully. "I want you to explain to me what's going on. How come you're not dead? How come your friends are here? How come you're holding a knife to my throat?"  
  
Ally laughed. "Oh, Dawn. You don't need to know all of that."  
  
"I do. I do. Please tell me."  
  
Ally sighed. "OK." She sat on the gurney her body had been lying on moments before. "Well, as you might have worked out, none of us are human. We're demons, part of the Kalonji tribe. We are just plain old flesh-eaters. Not really that interesting. But there is an old legend, a prophecy, in our holy book, which says, and I quote, 'One day the Key shall be moulded into human form. And when the Key is human any Kalonji who feasts on the key's flesh shall be granted eternal life.' Basically, if we eat you, we will be immortal."  
  
Dawn was confused. "So, why didn't you just eat me the first time you saw me. Why pretend to be bullies? Why pretend to be dead?"  
  
Ally continued to explain. "We're clever demons. We heard a rumour from a few other demon clans that the Key was human. So we came down here, and decided to make life hell for you, until the time was right to kill you. We all have special magical powers, and we altered the minds of several strangers, to make them believe that they were our parents. Their minds told them we were their children, so they believed what their minds told them, and we lived with them. We managed to change from our original physical form, which you will see later, to these lower, pathetic, human bodies. And we bullied you and teased you, and drove you insane." Dawn was beginning to understand. The pieces of the puzzle were fitting into place. But some things still didn't make sense.  
  
"What about the spell? Why did you pretend to die?"  
  
"This was one of the best parts of our plan. We made you perform that spell. I entered your mind, and I told you to steal that book, and to cast the spell on me. You had no choice, I was controlling your mind, even though you didn't know it. I pretended to be dead. I left my stupid human body and returned to my true form. While everyone grieved for me, Alex, Carrie and Gabby were busy driving you insane with guilt, by manipulating your mind yet again. They gave you those dreams, they made you write the suicide note to your sister, they made you come here, even though you thought you were doing all these things yourself."  
  
"So was it you, who went to the Magic Box and attacked Willow?"  
  
Ally smiled. "Very good! It was. And we've run into your sister on other occasions as well ,in graveyards. Once, Gabby was alone, and she was injured by your sister, but the second time she was with me, and your sister suffered some pretty nasty unconsciousness."  
  
Ally smiled again, picked up the knife, and walked towards Dawn. "Now it's time for us to eat you." And Ally, Alex, Carrie and Gabby left their human bodies to become huge, terrifying, green creatures, and they advanced on Dawn, slavering hungrily.  
  
Buffy threw open the mortuary doors, and ran towards the ensuing chaos. Four of the green demons were busy cutting into Dawn with a knife. Buffy looked around for a weapon. She picked up a gurney, and threw it at them with all her strength.  
  
Two demons were knocked over. One continued to cut Dawn, the other snarled at Buffy and ran towards her. She punched it and kicked its face. Buffy grabbed the knife it was holding, and quickly beheaded it.  
  
Buffy ran to help Dawn, but the two recovering demons stopped her. She took them both on, but they managed to pin her against the wall. One of them stabbed her, and she fell to the floor.  
  
"We'll eat her after the Key," Gabby said to Carrie in Kalonjenese.  
  
Buffy held her stab wound, jumped up in the air, and brought her knife into the stomach of one of the green demons. Green blood spurted out of its side. It fell to the floor, shrieking horribly, before dying.  
  
The one who was left held Buffy back as she tried to run to Dawn, who was having small pieces of her arm cut out. Buffy bent back the demon's arm, and it screamed and punched her with the other one. She doubled up, recovered, and kicked the demon's face.  
  
She ran to her knife, which she had dropped to the floor, and picked it up. She stood to face the demon again, and dealt it a fatal blow to its neck. It collapsed, dead.  
  
Buffy ran to the demon who was neatly cutting Dawn's skin. Dawn was screaming and crying in pain. Buffy stabbed the demon, who was Ally, in the back. The demon turned to face Buffy, and punched the knife out of her hand.  
  
Ally kicked Buffy, and she fell down clutching her stomach in pain. Ally returned to Dawn, and said, "Now my friends are dead, I've got you all to myself. I think I'll cut out your heart." Ally grabbed Buffy's knife from the floor, and moved it towards Dawn.  
  
Dawn held back her tears and bit her lip, as the knife came towards her. Buffy stood up and saw the knife moving towards Dawn. She knew, no matter what happened to her, she must protect Dawn.  
  
A series of images flashed through her mind. Dawn's birth, teaching Dawn to swim, protecting Dawn from a vampire, sacrificing herself for Dawn. And she knew she had to do it again.  
  
Buffy ran in front of the knife heading towards Dawn, and she felt it plunge into her stomach. She let out a silent scream, and in the few seconds before she fainted, she turned the knife around and pushed it into the demon's heart. Buffy's eyes closed, and she collapsed. Ally fell on top of her. Dawn stood above them, bleeding and crying.  
  
EPILOGUE  
  
Buffy opened her eyes. She saw Dawn standing above her. Dawn smiled, and stroked Buffy's head.  
  
"Hey, Buffy."  
  
Buffy sat up and looked around. "Where am I?"  
  
Dawn pushed Buffy back into a lying position. "You're in hospital. You got stabbed in the chest. You've been here for a week."  
  
Buffy suddenly remembered what had happened. "Those demons....."  
  
"You saved me from them," Dawn told her. "You jumped in front of the knife. I would have died for sure, but you took the pain. We've been so worried about you We thought you'd..."  
  
Buffy put her finger over Dawn's lips. "Don't say that. I'll be fine. What about you? You got hurt pretty bad."  
  
Dawn shook her head. "It was nothing compared to you. I did have some cuts on my arms, but they're almost gone." Dawn held up her arms, which were still in bandages.  
  
"The doctors say you'll be better soon." Buffy nodded. "Okay."  
  
There was an awkward silence. Then Dawn spoke. "Everyone's been to visit. Xander, Giles, Anya, Willow, Tara."  
  
"Oh, how's Willow?" Buffy asked quickly. "She's doing really well," Dawn replied. "She's almost completely better."  
  
Buffy smiled. "Great." "And," Dawn said excitedly," She's going to help me with my school problem." Buffy was confused. "What do you mean?" Dawn grinned. "You'll see."  
  
Willow was sat with Dawn in Dawn's bedroom. During the week Buffy had been in hospital, Willow and Tara had been taking care of Dawn, reminding them all of the time when Buffy had been dead, when they weren't expecting her to return, ever. But this time, they knew Buffy was coming back.  
  
During that week, Willow had promised to perform this spell with Dawn. Willow had told Dawn off for her misuse of magic with the Ally spell, and told her to read the codes in the spell book more closely next time.  
  
Everyone was glad Willow was back to normal, especially Dawn. The spell needed a photo of Dawn's principal, which they had got from the school photograph, and Willow magically entered the woman's mind, and altered it so Dawn had never been expelled.  
  
Dawn would be able to go back to school the next day, and she was looking forward to it. Especially now there were no bullies there to make her life miserable. Dawn knew she had to make a fresh start at school, with new friends. And she also knew she would be fine.  
  
She had some great people supporting her. She had Buffy, who was coming home the next day, still fragile but mostly better. Buffy was the person she loved most in the world. Her sister, her protector. Her Slayer.  
  
She had Giles, who she knew she could always rely on. She had Willow and Tara, always kind and helpful (and magic is cool!). Dawn also had Xander and Anya who helped with....... stuff. And Dawn knew as long as she had the people she loved, then she would be OK.  
  
Deep underground, in a cavernous area of the sewers, where a ghoulish doctor works on his terrifying experiments, is a hospital for demons.  
  
The doctor runs it, curing the wounds of the evil supernatural people. Ally had managed to get to him, nearly dead. The stab wound had injured her, but she was alive.  
  
The doctor had spent hours operating on her. She was mostly better. Her wound had healed up, but she was still weak.  
  
She no longer had her friends, she was alone. But she knew, the time would come soon, when she could return to above the ground, return to Sunnydale, and then, she would finally have the Key.  
  
One day. 


End file.
